July 16, 2018: A Proposed STC-SV Mentoring Program

Mentoring is a cooperative, typically (but not necessarily!) one-on-one framework for experienced technical writers to share their insights with protégés who are just entering the field or changing disciplines. But the “mentee” isn’t the only one to benefit from the experience – STC mentors report access to new perspectives, sharper leadership and coaching abilities, and valuable future employees. More broadly, a more tightly interwoven TC community fosters good professional relationships, patches knowledge gaps, increases the pool of skilled interns and hires, and boosts STC attendance.

On July 16, Philip Powers will present concepts for a future STC Silicon Valley mentorship program – built from the ground up for your community. We will discuss the viability of such a program, its potential merits and pitfalls, how to be an effective mentor and student, and the examples set by successful mentorship programs at other STC chapters nationwide.

This presentation will be fairly interactive. As always, we encourage you to invite interested colleagues and to share your own experiences – in academia, on the job, as a seeker, or anywhere in between.

About Philip Powers

Philip Powers graduated from UC Davis’ College of Letters & Sciences in 2013. Today, he produces hardware documentation for electronic test and measurement equipment, including broadband, fiber-optic, and wireless applications. He currently serves as STC Silicon Valley chapter president.

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STC’s Mission

STC advances the theory and practice of technical communication across all user abilities and media so that both businesses and customers benefit from safe, appropriate, and effective use of products, information, and services.